Boys and Horses
by shesamystory
Summary: Bella's running and she's desperate. Her grandparents ranch is the last place for her to go, even if that means shovelling horse manure and playing (kind of) nice with the bitchy receptionist. Edward Cullen, veterinarian and farm hand is short tempered and incredibly attractive and Bella is finding it hard to stay away.


Green hills roll for miles, the sky is clear and bright, the fences are perfectly white slats and the horses are beautiful beasts of power that pound the ground and rule the land with their strong gaits.

My grandfather's pick up truck grinds around a corner and down a familiar cobble driveway framed by huge trees like giants that sway in the summer wind.

Some horribly stereotypical country song is blaring from the speakers, giving me a headache and jostling my nerves further with it's ranting about the feel of a horse in gallop. I can't even recall the last time I went riding. I'm hoping for a miracle in which I can just sit in the saddle and remember everything about horses.

The truck shudders along and throws me up and down as I clutch my phone for dear life. My grandfather is completely relaxed and hardly moves as we jostle down the driveway. He belts out the lyrics to the tunes on the radio and every so often rubs his nose with the back of his hand.

The truck tears to the front of the house and suddenly stops. I'm nearly thrown through the window but latch my hands onto the door handle in the nick of time.

"God damn it, Pa!" I shout. "You damn near killed me,"

"Sorry, Bells," he blushes profusely.

I jumped from the car and pulled my bright red backpack with me. The jump is quite big and I teeter slightly as my feet hit the ground. I slam the door and wonder to the front of the resort ranch. The main building is a mix of dark wood and cold gray stone. The windows are huge and give an amazing view of the colossal property.

I lug my backpack up the stairs and open the glass door; a wave of air conditioning and the scent of vanilla hitting me. The room is decorated with gray couches and a huge fireplace made of stone in which a fire burns.

A long dark-wood desk is positioned at the end of the room. A petite woman with dark brown hair tied in a tight bun sits on a large leather chair. Her head snaps up as the door creaks closed. Her lips are thin and her reedy red lipstick looks ridiculous on her too small mouth. Her nose hooks over slightly and her eyebrows are so incredibly slender that I wonder if there's any hair left or they're completely drawn on.

"Bella," Her smile is convincing but her cold eyes betray her.

"Jessica," I reply. "Looking as fake as ever,"

Her face contorts and turns a shade of deep red as if she's a balloon about to burst. Suddenly her smile reappears.

"Well, I learned from the best, didn't I?" she smirks.

"That's hilarious, Jessica. I am a guest at the ranch and I expect you to act like it. Your lack of professionalism has not gone unnoticed. Now where is my grandmother?" I snap.

"She's in the kitchen," Jessica replies and unfolds her laptop. It seems I've been dismissed.

"It's been a pleasure as always, Jessica," I grin.

"Yeah, whatever, Swan,"

I saunter out the room and down the steps as my grandfather talks to a man with a black cowboy hat and boots. He wears white wash jeans and a red and blue plaid shirt. As I walk closer I can see wavy blonde hair poking out from under his hat. He turns as my feet scramble along the gravel. His jaw is strong and his eyes the most incredible blue I have ever seen. The beautiful mans skin is sun kissed and his behind beautifully toned.

"Ma'am" he drawls, making my skin tingle.

"Jasper, this is my Bella," Grandpa beams proudly.

I smile but feel slightly confused by my grandpas gloating. It's not like I'm particularly great…at well anything really. I'm pretty average looking too.

My eyes are a brown that is neither dark nor light but a distasteful dirt shade and my eyelashes are long, I guess. Not particularly outstanding. My eyebrows are quite thick so I constantly pluck them and my top lip is just as thick as my bottom lip, which might not sound weird but is totally off putting. My nose is kind of smallish and pulls itself up slightly at the end. People always compliment me on my long mahogany hair that falls at my waist in lengthy tendrils.

Jasper looks me up and down with a look I can't register but finishes with a smile.

"What a beautiful granddaughter you have, Charles," He twangs with slight mischievousness in his voice.

"Well, she's a looker, Jasper. She'll be helping you folks with the horses to earn her keep here," Grandpa grins.

"Sorry, what?" I ask.

Grandpa laughs and pushes his graying hair under a black cowboy hat.

"You're going to help exercise the horses, feed them, clean their stalls, brush them and make sure their happy. You're going to earn your spot on the ranch like any other person. You don't get special treatment just because you're my little girl,"

My entire envisioning of lying in bed all day watching pretty little liars and eating grandma's food changes into a very different scene in which I am covered in horse feces and straw sticks out of my braids as I shuffle down the stable halls. My god. I shudder at the thought.

"Your grandmother was looking for you, Bella," Jasper nods. "T'was nice meeting you,"

He walks off with his hands in his front pockets, whistling a simple tune.

"I'd better go then, Grandpa" I smile and walk towards the dining area, a beautiful dark wooden stage with large timber poles holding up twinkle lights and a ceiling made of long white material that hang slightly downward. The area is filled with chairs and tables with a buffet table right at the back, which is currently empty. Some people chatter too each other as they wait for lunch. About twenty metres from the dining area is a basic stone building with no windows.

I pull the dark wood door open and am immediately assaulted by the hustle of kitchen staff as they prepare five star meals for the entire ranch. My grandmother is a frail looking lady with a long silver braid hunched over a pot of soup as she stirs it carefully. I dodge kitchen staff that run around frantically and end up standing next to her.

"Hello, grandma," I smile.

"Oh, my beautiful Bella!" She beams, dropping her wooden spoon and wrapping her fragile arms around me. Her eyes are a deep brown much prettier than mine but surrounded by small wrinkles from years of smiling. She is incredibly beautiful for an elderly woman.

"You'll be in wilderness estate 3," she tells me. "Keys are in my bag out the back,"

"Seriously!? A wilderness?!" I shout.

A wilderness estate is one of the finest houses on the ranch The estate includes panoramic vistas, uber-privacy and an extensive list of features including a great room with a soaring vaulted ceiling, a cook's kitchen, a loft game room, and three master suites featuring en-suite master bathrooms outfitted with a spacious slate shower and a jetted spa tub. There's a hot tub, working Internet and a flat screen TV. Out the back is a stable stall to keep two horses.

"Sure thing, sweet cheeks. You'll have to work for it though," Grandma winks.

"Of course!" I squeal, incredibly excited.

"Jasper probably already left your suitcases on the porch. We left Cisco out for you to ride over until you can get your own. She's tied up out the front of the stables. You'll be okay by yourself, right?" she asks.

"Oh, yeah. I'll be fine," I gulp as a slight line of sweat appears on my forehead.

"Great. I'll see you later. Dinner will be served at seven," she nods and continues to stir her soup.

I walk to the back and find her brown leather bag on a hook. I pull out a house key with "Wilderness 3" engraved into the metal.

I exit the building and wander over to the stables where a little grey horse stands, tethered too a pole at the doors. I can just wing riding right? I put one my right foot into the stirrup and throw my leg over making the horse incredibly uncomfortable as she moves her feet around hastily. Did I do something wrong?

I realise that she's still attached to the pole so I cautiously lean forward and unclip the rope from her bridle. I grab the reins but also hold the saddle so I don't fall off.

"Walk," I command. 

The horse does not move. I tap her with my boots. She slowly sets off towards some trails where signs direct visitors to different cabins. The horse rocks slowly as my palms sweat profusely. I should have just asked for a lift.

The horse stumbles across the trail as I try to make sense of where I am. Everything looks the same. Tree, tree, tree, shrub, tree, shrub.

Suddenly, Cisco lets out a startled sound and backs up. I am not prepared for this. Stop, horse. A large black wild stallion stands in the middle of the track and stares at me. I drop my reins in horror. This is the end. This wild horse is going to murder Cisco and I. We are done for.

Unexpectedly, the large horse storms into the forest and Cisco runs down the trail at such a high speed I begin shaking and hug her neck. She pounds the ground with her hooves and I do not have the slightest idea how to stop her. I let out a childish scream as we thunder down the path.

A man runs onto the track and Cisco stops so abruptly that I'm almost thrown off her back. He grabs her reins and walks us to the side of the track. His hair is held by a black cowboy hat and his muscular back covered by a plaid blue shirt. He wears tight jeans and black boots.

He tugs Cisco towards a bay horse that looks at us as we approach. The man suddenly turns around. His marvelous jaw is set hard and his eyes are the deepest green I have ever witnessed. He looks at me with a smoldering anger that makes me incredibly terrified and slightly turned on.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing? You could have killed yourself or someone else! You're lucky I stopped you when I did!" he growls, dropping the reins and crossing his arms.

"She got scared. I didn't know how to stop her," I squeak.

"How to stop her? Are you for real?" He barks.

I blush furiously, my entire face turning a dark shade of crimson.

"Do you even know how to ride, Isabella?" He asks.

"Well, of course, I, we, grandparents, ranch, kid, no," I vomit my words onto him with a shaky voice. "How do you know my name?" 

"You're the owners granddaughter. I saddled that horse up for you fifteen minutes ago and left before you got here," he states. "Where are you trying to get too?"

"Wilderness 3" I tell him. His eyes widen slightly. Yes, I know. I have the coolest place.

"We'll be neighbors then. I'm wilderness 2, about eight hundred metres down the trail,"

I'm shocked that a worker is allowed in a wilderness. It's one of the best places on the ranch.

"Shouldn't you be in the workers block?" I ask.

"They're renovating my part and a wilderness was the only free place," He smirks. "I'm heading towards my place now. I'll pull you along if you want,"

Although incredibly downgrading, I accept his offer to be lead down the trail like a preschooler.

He jumps onto his horse gracefully and trots over. I hand him the reins and he pulls us slowly down the path.

"So, what's your name?" I ask.

"Edward Cullen,"

"How long have you worked here?"

"Two years"

"What's your horses name?"

"Phoenix"

"Like the city?" I ask.

"No. The bird," he replies.

"What's your favourite colour?"

He turns around to look at me with a pointing look.

"Are you going to ask stupid questions the entire time?" he asks.

"No but you didn't answer the last one," I state.

"What?"

"What is your favourite colour?"

"Blue,"


End file.
